Impeachment of Bush and Cheney set for San Francisco vote on same ballot as referendum on Olympic bid

By Emmett Berg, Bay City News Service

August 9, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Voters in San Francisco may get the opportunity to call for the impeachment of George W. Bush on the same ballot they can register their opinion on the city's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.

The advocacy group Constitution Summer announced yesterday that the San Francisco Impeachment Ballot Initiative had the support of four members of the Board of Supervisors -- the minimum necessary to force an appearance on the ballot.

Separately, Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval used a procedural move to delay ballot certification for his own ballot question on whether the city should bid for the games. In his remarks he announced the support of three other supervisors, meaning the Olympics question was likely headed before voters.

Sandoval said the city may well lose money by playing host to the games, and that officials' effort tying the bid to construction of a new stadium for the 49ers was conflating separate public policy matters.

"I would love to see the Olympics come to San Francisco," Sandoval said. "But as a supervisor, my and our responsibility is to ask tough questions, to exercise our oversight role and protect the tax payer. This is not fun. No one wants to stand and ask these questions."

Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval

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